The Starting 11 Interview Series: Bumpy Pitch and The Original Winger Founder Ben Hooper

The brainchild of two former professional soccer players, Bumpy Pitch is setting the standard for off-the-field soccer style. Founded in 2004 by ten-year MLS veteran Brian "Dunny" Dunseth and Ben "Beans" Hooper, who spent time playing in Holland, Bumpy Pitch has established itself at the forefront of soccer fashion beyond the jersey and training gear. But Bumpy Pitch is more that just a high-quality t-shirt company, they're the promoters of the soccer culture and lifestyle that exists in orbit around the game. And that's where their other website, The Original Winger, comes into play. While BP focuses on the apparel-side, TOW is the documenter and promoter of the culture and lifestyle that is weaving their way into mainstream America's head.

The Los Angeles-based company (with Ace Harrison also as a partner) is getting love from soccer fans, professional soccer players, and celebrities the world over. Part of these shirts' appeal is their high-quality, but mostly its about what's on the front of each; and that's American soccer history.

Bumpy Pitch has saved a little slice of the sport's history on each one of their shirts, rescued the North American Soccer League from the dustbin of time, and, in some cases, brought century-old clubs into the soccer consciousness.

"Beans" was more than happy to sit down and pound out a few answers for the Free Beer Movement about Bumpy Pitch, where they came from, their mission, where they're going, and about The Original Winger and its role in this whole sha-bang.

1) Where did the idea come from for Bumpy Pitch? How did the company get started?

The idea for Bumpy Pitch and the start for the company were all very simple. We didn’t feel like there was any fashionable / lifestyle clothes that represented for soccer. So we decided we would make some. The early stuff we made was mostly for ourselves and friends, and was incredibly basic. But the idea was there and we believed in the idea of the “lifestyle of soccer.”

2) If you ask a lot of soccer fans they say that “soccer is young in America,” but the shirts you make tell a different story. Why is looking into the past of American soccer important for its future?

I think the growth of the sport may be in its early stages here in the States, but the sport itself

has a pretty rich history in America. As the sport continues to grow here, we thought it was important to understand where the sport has come from before we could fully embrace where it’s headed. Besides, the stories, histories and imagery from these old teams are pretty amazing.

3) How do BP and The Original Winger work together to promote the game and its ties to fashion?

I think that what we do with both Bumpy Pitch and The Original Winger is about more than just fashion. Obviously fashion drives a lot of what we do, but it’s more the lifestyle of the sport that we really push. Fashion plays a big part in the lifestyle, and since we design and produce clothes that are an obvious focus for us. But we are a lifestyle driven company, more than just a clothing company.

4) BP has garnered some pretty high profile wearers of your shirts. People like Steve Nash, several members of the USMNT, Tom Morello, even Ryan Seacrest. What is it about BP that appeals to not just soccer fans, but a larger cross section of America?

I think the quality of the shirts is the first thing. We spent quite a bit of time developing the shirts and getting them exactly how we wanted them. Everything from picking the type of cotton that is used, the cut of the shirts, and the treatments to get them to feel as soft as they do. I think people pick up on that quality. I also think a lot of people appreciate the stories that are associated with the shirts.

5) You write on your site that the focus of soccer has always been about what’s on the pitch and almost nothing beyond that and that BP and TOW is about changing that. What does the scene look like several years after having started BP?

It’s still a challenge to get people to look at things in a different light, but things have definitely changed from when we first started talking about the lifestyle side of things. We get a lot of incredible feedback from people who appreciate our approach to things so we know we are doing something right.

6) Tell us about your current collection.

The original shirts we did were inspired by the history of soccer in the US. We featured teams such as the Fall River Marksmen and Bethlehem Steel which date as far back as the late 1890’s. We also had some teams from the NASL days. So history was a big part of what we have done so far. We’ll continue to feature some of the older team inspired shirts while we continue to introduce new designs and products.

7) When is the next collection rolling out for BP? Can you give us any clues to what it will be about? Or what teams might be featured?

We’re currently releasing a couple shirts a month right now and plan to continue doing things that way as opposed to one collection every few months. We also have some products we have been working on for awhile that we will be releasing like hoodies, polos, etc. As for the theme or direction, it’s kind of fluid. We come up with ideas we like and then go from there, as opposed to trying to make something fit within a pre-defined theme. We’ve got some pretty incredible new shirts in the works as well as brand new products.

8) So far what’s the coolest shirt, in your opinion, that BP has put out?

I really like the ones featuring the old teams like Fall River Marksmen and the Brooklyn Wanderers. These teams date way back, and also didn’t have any logos that we could find so we got to design the logos based on what we thought a logo should look like for these teams.

We also did a shirt with Nick Egan that blends soccer, punk music and 1970’s London. Collaborating with Nick was a lot of fun, and I’m really happy about how we were able to mesh the different elements without watering down the message.

9) TOW just started a really interesting feature called, Soccer in America, can you talk a little about that project; where the idea came from, what’s the goal, and how it’s going so far?

The easy answer is we are fans of photography and soccer and we wanted to combine those elements. The deeper answer is that we wanted to explore the culture of soccer in America via photography. We are all a part of the greater soccer culture here, but the way that looks in Southern California might look very different in some ways to how that looks in the northeast and so on. The series has been incredible so far. Getting to see soccer images taken from people around the country will never get old for me, and hopefully it helps continue to build the community.

10) A few selfish, and pretty slanted, questions for the FBM. What is it about seeing a live soccer game and having a cold beer in your hand that makes everything seem right with the world?

It’s kind of like peanut butter and jelly. They compliment one another and just fit together perfectly.

11) How cool would a Free Beer Movement shirt look in your next collection? (feel free to respond with “no comment”)

I actually have the basis of a design for a BP x FBM t-shirt, and I think it would look pretty rad.

Links: Bumpy Pitch, The Original Winger

Photos: Bumpy Pitch Blog

The Starting 11: An Interview with the American Outlaws and President Korey Donahoo

Site Note: This is the second in a series of interviews the FBM is doing with interesting and important people and ideas in American soccer. Read our first interview with Jesse Nechodom, soccer-hater-turned-soccer-lover with part 1 and part 2.

It's easy to forget that The American Outlaws are only two years old. The US National Team supporters group has taken the American soccer scene by storm with hundreds of members, dozens of chapters around the country, and take a no prisoners attitude. The AO and their chapters host dozens of viewing parties, tailgates, and match events around the country each year in support of the US National Team.

Several AO members and chapters are planning to head down to Honduras for that crucial CONCACAF clash on October 10th (if its still held there) and on October 14th they'll be loud and proud at RFK Stadium in Washington DC for the final "Hex" World Cup Qualifier against Costa Rica (a match in which the FBM is skipping on their day job to fly out for!).

The Free Beer Movement had a chance to shoot a few questions over the AO President Korey Donahoo, who was nice enough to actually respond to them.

1) How did the Outlaws start? Where did the idea come from?

Just going to games, we saw a lack of consistency of events planned surrounding the game. Some games had killer tailgates, others had nothing planned, but there was always passionate fans looking to connect.

2) How have you been able to create a nation-wide following?

Consistency has been everything. Being at every game and having stuff set up for people to enjoy themselves for EVERY game has been the key, I think. Also, allowing people who want to get involved to pitch in, whether it be with designing shirts or starting their own chapter.

3) How many chapters do you have now? Where are they? What’s their function?

Off the top of my head, probably 15 or so. Their function is to unite fans from a certain area, let's say, Lincoln Nebraska, give those fans a place to meet for EVERY game, and a banner to display at the bar. Then, if that area were lucky enough to host a US game, (which Lincoln obviously won’t), the chapter gets to plan the national party.

4) What does US Soccer think about the Outlaws? What’s your connection with them?

US Soccer has been pretty helpful with certain aspects, mainly ticketing. They usually offer supporters section tickets at the best price and before general ticket sales, which has helped us a lot. There’s always room for our relationship to grow, but its been a good one thus far, overall.

5) What’s the current state of the union for American soccer (the game, the culture, the fan following, etc), in general?

There’s definitely a ground swell of new fans, a lot of which has to do with our success at the Confederations Cup. ESPN buying the English Premiership rights tells you everything you need to know…that it's only going to get bigger for the foreseeable future. I hope that Outlaws can help usher in some of these new fans, get them to a US game or two, and keep them coming back to support our boys.

6) What about the future for soccer in the United States?

It's bright, see #5…

7) One of my inspirations has been the passion I’ve seen when I’ve attending international matches abroad and the want to see that same passion in our stadiums in the US. How have your experiences been when travelling with the team in other countries? How does that influence you and the Outlaws?

Ironically, sometimes the best pro-US atmospheres I’ve experienced have been abroad. I’m thinking specifically of the 2^nd world cup game against Italy in 2006. The camaraderie between US fans is something that never ceases to amaze me, and taking it abroad adds a new dimension. I’ll never forget the friendly against the English fans the night before US v England at Wembley, when we kicked their ass!

8) I was following your road trip to SLC on Twitter. Sounds like a lot of drinking and a few problems with your RV. Tell us some of the highlights and lowlights of the trip?

The highlights were everything related to the game itself. The camaraderie (we were broken down in Wyoming, and AO Houston drove almost 2 hours each way to pick us up, as well as getting a 2 hour ride back with complete strangers) was awesome. The tailgate was fun and intense, and the game ended with 3 points.

As for lowlights, everything related to the RV. 2 blown tires, breaking down in Wyoming and having to keep the windows open in order to not die of exhaust inhalation can be detrimental to any trip, even a US victory.

9) What sort of role do groups like the American Outlaws and the Free Beer Movement play in growing the sport?

Everybody likes feeling like part of a community, and then helping the community to grow in positive directions. We feel we follow the best team in the world, and we want our friends to share all the good times that it has brought us, and I think buying a skeptic a beer is a perfect way to usher in newbies.

10) What’s the beer of choice for the Outlaws?

Speaking for myself and Justin Brunken, the vice-President, Budweiser and PBR.

11) What’s next for the American Outlaws?

The World Cup (assuming we qualify) is going to be amazing. TenDot travel company in Lincoln has helped us with the logistics, and its going to be a wild ride. Until then, all the pretournament friendlies will be a great way to bring in new fans and prepare for South Africa.

Link: The American Outlaws

Photo Credit: Taken from The Shin Guardian's post on AO's trip to Salt Lake City

Video Credit: AO

The Starting 11: An Interview with Jesse Nechodom (Part 2)

Site Note: This is the second part of our first interview with people and ideas that are shaping American soccer the Free Beer Movement has lined up. Our first interview is with an old friend of the Movement, Jesse Nechodom. Read part one about Jesse's background as a sports fan and his early soccer experiences.

- Dan

6) Now that you’ve become more familiar with soccer, and with your love of other sports, is there anything you see in soccer than you can’t get in other sports.

I would say that what I’ve found with soccer that is more surprising to me is that I can get many of the same things in soccer that I get in other sports such as upsets (US Nats), frustration with teams not performing up to their potential (US Nats), and inspired play with non-stop tension and excitement (take Sunday’s Manchester derby for example). If there is one thing about soccer that doesn’t exist in other sports (outside of maybe hockey which I don’t follow) it’s the pure joy of a goal since it doesn’t happen so often and the tension and excitement of when a team is constantly threatening and putting on pressure to score (the misconception turns out to actually be a good thing.)

7) You live in Paraguay now and recently saw their national team face off against Argentina in a World Cup qualifier. How was that?

Well, it’s hard to summarize in words but it was pretty incredible overall. The stadium and fans had a much more European feel to it as the supporters groups behind the end lines of the stadium sang and chanted all game long and the rest of the crowd joined in quite often. Paraguay won the game and qualified for the WC so the crowd went crazy and so did the city with everyone outside their houses singing and dancing in the street waving flags on our cab ride home.

Seeing Messi in person was incredible though he didn’t play well as he tried to beat 5 defenders and score every time he touched the ball. Maradonna on the sidelines looked fat and depressed just like you’d imagine he would (we kept watching to see if he’d do a line of coke to make himself feel better but he never did). I didn’t take pictures of the pre game part, but we did take some non-fans to the game promising a fun atmosphere and had some beers and food before the game so the FBM spirit lives in South America!

8) You’re hosting a Free Beer Match Day down in Paraguay. When? How’s that going to go down?

Later this afternoon (last Sunday) I’m heading to a match between a couple teams in the local league as I attempt to choose a team here. We’re going to head downtown a bit early to grab a few drinks and some food again before the game and then hopefully enjoy a good match. The more formal FBM Match Day I plan to host will be when the US plays Honduras in October. A friend of mine (who grew up a soccer fan in the DC area) has a nice TV with pretty fast internet here so we’ll stream the game on his computer, hook it up on the TV, and invite people over to drink some beers and enjoy. I’ll send in some pics to the FBM after the fact.

9) What is it about beer and sports that they go so well together?

I think people enjoy sports to relax and escape their everyday routines and they enjoy beer for the same reasons so it’s perfectly natural that they go well together. Plus a good beer can just be so refreshing when you’re sitting out in the hot sun watching a game and eating some salty snacks.

10) You probably won’t live abroad forever and when you come back to the States all those sports that you’ve watched and supported all of your life will be available. Do you think that your enthusiasm for soccer will continue with such competition?

My guess is that I might watch soccer less (since it’s pretty much all I watch here cuz there’s nothing else on TV) but based on how I’ve continued to follow all the sports I’ve become a fan of while seeing them less here, I don’t think I’ll stop. There’s no other sports on early Saturday or Sunday mornings which would interfere with my watching of soccer so when a good game is on I’ll still tune in. I have always found time for sports I’m interested in before and I’ll find time for soccer when I’m back in the US.

11) You really personify what the Free Beer Movement is trying to do, turn other sports fans into soccer fans as well. For those of us trying to convert more people like you, what advice do you have?

Free beer is a great starting point to get people involved. Once at a game or watching a game, I would try to make comparisons between soccer and other sports to relate what the person is seeing to what they know (I’m a teacher so that’s called building on background knowledge).

Lastly, I would strongly recommend somehow giving the potential convert a chance to play soccer in a fun and not super competitive situation. For me I need to play a sport to truly appreciate it and how difficult it is to do what you see elite players doing. Organize a “friendly” match with some friends, tell the players who know what they are doing to take it a bit easy, and watch the conversion happen. If your potential convert is like me and enjoys playing sports as much as watching them, this experience playing a sport is the key to get them interested in supporting it. Who knows, you might even find yourself a new defender or midfielder for your intramural or indoor team in the process!

The Starting 11: An Interview with Jesse Nechodom (Part 1)

Site Note: This is the first in a series of interviews about the people and ideas that are shaping American soccer the Free Beer Movement has lined up. Our first interview is with an old friend of the Movement, Jesse Nechodom.
- Dan

Jesse Nechodom is probably one of the biggest sports fans I have ever met. In college we called him "SportsCenter Jesse" for his encyclopedic knowledge of sports; except soccer. For all of his expertise, he did not like soccer in the least and swore he never would. Despite my best, and probably annoying, efforts throughout our four years in college it seemed like a lost cause.

Three years ago he moved to Honduras (to teach at a private school) and with few other options he fell for soccer. Hard. When I moved down there (my wife and I decided to teach down there as well) for a year with him it was almost scary how into soccer he was compared when we went to college together.

For Jesse it was being surrounded by soccer (and a bit of beer as well, I think!) that brought him to the sport and left him with a lasting, lifelong impression of the passion and skill that is tied to soccer.

He is the model example of who the Free Beer Movement is targeting. Sports fans, under-exposed to a sport they probably would appreciate if they took the time.

The following are a series of questions I asked him to answer to flesh out his evolution as sports and soccer fan, how beer helped the conversion, and a few of his cooler soccer-related experiences.

1) Before becoming a soccer fan you were, shall we say, a bit of a fanatic about other sports. Can you tell me a little bit about who you are as a sports fan?

I’ve loved sports for as long as I can remember and that love started with football. I am from a small town just outside Green Bay, Wisconsin so I was born a Packer fan. Being tall I soon began playing basketball as well and was a kid who just wanted to play pretty much any sport that came along. I play golf, track, baseball, ultimate Frisbee, Frisbee golf, and even wrestled for short time in elementary school. I am still a rather avid fan of the major American sports including MLB, NFL, NBA, PGA, college basketball, and college football. In all sports I am very much a “homer” in supporting Wisconsin teams.

It always seemed natural to me to be a fan of the teams where you were from. The other thing in common with my sports fandom is that I became a fan of the sports I played therefore soccer and hockey were left off my list due to never having played them outside of gym class.

2) You moved to Honduras two years ago. The mainstream American sports that you followed were few and far between. Tell me about your evolution to becoming a soccer fan. What brought you to the sport?

The first time I went to a soccer game in Honduras it was, in true FBM style, because everyone decided to have some beers and go check out the local team. The atmosphere was fun, everyone continued drinking, and I enjoyed myself even though I don’t remember much about the game.

The next time I went to a game, it wasn’t as hard to convince me to go again because I had a good time at the first game. The second game I attended I do remember a bit more because I paid more attention. It was an early WC qualifier with Honduras hosting Puerto Rico and I had heard in advance about this guy David Suazo who was supposed to be pretty good and played in Italy so I paid attention to see what the fuss was all about. In watching Suazo it was immediately obvious that he was on a different level completely than anyone else out on the field and I watched more closely. What I began to notice is how the players worked off of each other and how spacing and cutting were important parts of the game… just like basketball.

A few years ago I watched some friends playing indoor soccer in Milwaukee and remember thinking the same thing that night as the spacing, cutting, and knowledge of where your teammates are reminded me of basketball. This began to open my mind to soccer. What sealed it for me was the chance to play the game a bit with some friends in a fun and not super competitive situation. The combination of beginning to see how the game worked with being able to play it (even though I’m terrible) hooked me and I’ve been working to make up for lost time in learning the game ever since.

3) What misconceptions about the sport have been cleared up since you started becoming a fan?

First, let’s state the stereotypes about soccer that the majority of the American public have: it’s boring because there’s not much scoring, soccer players are “wusses” who can’t take any contact, and it doesn’t take much talent because soccer is just a bunch of running. I’d say the first misconception was cleared up for me once I actually began to watch how people moved off the ball and set up the goals during games, but I really didn’t do this a ton until I had the chance to play the game myself a bit and actually realize what people do off the ball. Relating what you see on TV off the ball to what it’s actually like for you playing makes it much less boring. The lack of scoring makes goals that much more exciting as well which makes it worth it.

The “wusses” comment comes from what football players seem to think about soccer players because they don’t realize the amount of contact that happens in a game. I would say that from experience basketball is just as physical a sport as soccer is and nobody calls basketball players wusses. Part of this label comes from how people dive and fake injuries in soccer as well which goes against the ethos of sports like basketball and football where people are admired for playing through pain and being tough guys.

I must admit that I really can’t stand diving and faking injuries in soccer (as I’m sure most fans can’t) and people who make the argument that its part of the game actually make me like the game a bit less. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over that problem. Lastly all it takes to overcome the skill argument is playing against and being made a fool of by someone who actually does possess the skills you lack in the game to make you realize the skill that is involved. After this happens to you, you will recognize skill when watching a match where you didn’t see it before.

4) How does live soccer (national team games, atmosphere, etc) really make the sport?

In my experience, almost any sport is better when you see it live. This tends to apply extra for soccer because in much of the world the crowd is half the attraction. To some extent at the games I’ve attended in Honduras and 100% of the time at the games here in Paraguay the crowd sings, chants, jumps, and is generally much more interesting than a crowd at any other sporting event I’ve been to. Goal celebrations in particular are something to behold.

5) There’s no real middle ground when it comes to you and being a fan of sports. Tell me how becoming a soccer fan has translated into your support of the US National Team as well.

Well, I’d have to agree with you about there being no real middle ground with me and sports. I’m either borderline obsessive or not really interested at all in a sport. As evidence of my newfound borderline obsession with soccer, as I type these answers I’m watching the Manchester derby (WOW by the way) and during halftime flipped over to Cagliari – Inter so I don’t have any dead soccer air. Given my sports history as a “homer” it was only natural that I would have to become a fan of the National Team.

I started reading about the team a little and watching some games, the background stories of a few of the players made them even more interesting and I quickly grew attached (those players would be Dempsey given his lower class upbringing and Demerit since he went to high school 20 minutes from where I grew up and he is the ultimate sports Cinderella story). Luckily for me this newfound interest came in time for me to watch WC qualifiers and the Confed Cup which only solidified my status as a dedicated fan.

Part 2: Here

"Starting 11" and "FBM 6-Pack" Interviews

Here's a listing of all the interviews that the Free Beer Movement has done in the past:

Starting 11

September 28th, 2009 - Korey Donahoo, American Outlaws President

September 21st, 2009 - Jesse Nechodom, Soccer-Hater-Turned-Soccer-Lover

FBM 6-Pack